KIND OF A BIG DEAL is kind of a big deal.
No, seriously. I knew from the start that I was bound to like it- I mean, a YA featuring magic and musicals by one of my fav authors? I'm practically genetically predispositioned to like it- but it hooked me in a way I haven't been hooked for a while. To give you an idea of why I loved it so much, here are ten things I loved about it!
1. Josie
No review of KOABD would be complete without a look at Josie Pie, our dream crushed protagonist. Josie made the choice at seventeen to move away from everyone she knows to strike out on her own in NYC. Unfortunately, the bold move didn’t pay off. Now she’s struggling to cope with the fact that she seemingly peaked in high school. She’s kind, a bit socially awkward, and utterly relatable. The reader can’t help yearning for her to succeed.
2. Nina
Nina is Josie’s best friend from high school. Bullied back then, Nina is thriving now, away in Chicago. She’s both a source of support and comfort to Josie, and also a reminder of how people’s lives can improve when freed from the restrictions of high school. Personality wise, Nina can be the more rational one to ground Josie’s dreamy ambition, and the genuine affection between them despite the distance is touching.
3. Justin
Justin is Josie’s boyfriend. Once, they meant everything to each other. Now, Josie’s not so sure. They’ve been distant for a while (living states away will do that) and now she’s wondering if he’s moved on from her relationship completely. Josie’s feelings are further explored by a variety of fictional love interest that she encounters in her storied adventures, all wearing his face. I loved the complexity of Josie’s feelings and the sweetness of them, and the unique way the story explored them.
4. Mia
Mia is the superstitious young child that Josie gets her living nannying for. Mia is precocious, paranoid of bad luck, and longing for her absent mother. Josie’s relationship with Mia shows a more caring responsible side of Josie, and also reflects her desire to do better than all the adults in Josie’s own life.
5. Unique Format
Josie’s story picks up when she discovers the ability to transport herself into the world of stories she’s reading, allowing her to become the protagonist of a historical romance, a postapocalyptic scifi, a comic book, etc. But within these worlds, the characters take the appearance of people Josie knows in the real world. This lets Josie recognize and confront her feelings about them. It has the odd side effect that of the main cast, most of them only actually physically appear in one scene (or less!). But this unique format works for such an introspective book, where the past (and coming to terms with it) is so important.
6. Musical Motif
You may have noticed from this blog that I am a musical theatre fan. As such, it shouldn’t be a surprise that I absolutely loved the musical references in this story. There’s the small stuff- references to past shows Josie has been in- but also bigger things, like the way Josie relates what she’s feeling and going through to different songs and characters in shows. Musical theatre fans are going to love this one.
7. Trans Rep
What I liked most about the inclusion of a trans character in this story is that the most interesting thing about this character is not that she’s transgender. It’s important in understanding her past and her experiences in high school (and your high school past is especially important in this story) but the character in question can be described without mentioning it. (Which is why I didn’t say anything about it when she was mentioned previously on this list.)
8. Failure of Adults
Failure of adults is a big theme in KOBAD. There’s Josie’s parents, who didn’t give her attention and support she craved as a kid. There’s also her high school music teacher, who gave her unrealistic expectations of stardom, pushed her to go to Broadway, and then abandoned her when she struggled. All this failure is reflected in Josie’s relationship with the child Mia, and her desire to not be the disappointing adult for Mia.
9. Target Audience
The failure of adults is a poignant theme that is bound to resonant with the teenage audience, who are coming to terms with the adults in their lives and their own burgeoning adulthood. The idea of moving on past high school and what it means for the rest of your life is going to hit particularly hard for the teens preparing to do just that. Sometimes a story is YA mainly because the characters are that age. Not so for KOBAD. Everything about KOBAD, from its story to its characters to its themes, are tailor suited for the late teen audience and the things they need to hear before they go out into the world on their own for the first time.
10. The Ending
I can’t go into any details because I don’t want to spoil it. (Because seriously, I want everyone reading this to go pick up KOBAD right now or face my wrath. Okay, maybe not that last bit but still, give it a read.) What I can say is that the conclusion of this story gave me all the feels.
So that's Shannon Hale's KIND OF A BIG DEAL. Have you read it? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!
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